Purpose – The aim of this paper is to empirically examine residents' perceptions of waste sorting and to research whether residents' behavior regarding waste sorting has an impact on the sustainable development of a tourist destination. Design – A questionnaire with four constructs was designed: attitudes towards waste sorting, perceived behavioral control, waste sorting behavior and sustainable development of a tourist destination. Data were collected from a sample of 579 residents of the Kvarner islands. Methodology – Univariate and multivariate statistical analysis were used for statistical analysis. Hypotheses were tested using PLS-SEM. Approach – The research was conducted on the Kvarner islands (Krk, Cres, Lošinj and Rab) in August and September 2022. Findings –Attitudes of residents towards waste sorting positively influence the behavior of residents of the Kvarner islands towards waste sorting. PBC also positively influences the behavior related to waste sorting. Residents' behavior regarding waste sorting positively influences sustainable development in Kvarner islands. Originality of the research – Research on waste sorting concerning the residents of Kvarner islands is scarce. Therefore, this paper provides a rare insight into the theoretical and practical implications that are useful for destination development planners and destination management.